Game-board.



Patented Nov; 7, |899. J. P. HARRISUN.

GAME BOARD.

(Application tiled 0ct. 11, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

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G A M E B 0 A R D (Application filed Oct. 1 l, 1897.)

QNo Model.)

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Armar FFICE JAMES P. HARRISON, OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

GAM E-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,663, dated November 7, 1899.

Application filed October Il, 1897. Serial No. 654,773. (No model.)

[0 all whom. t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs P. HARRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Pitt-Sylvania and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Boards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My object is to provide a game-board of novel construction, especially adapted for the playing of duplicate whist, which will be equipped with a set of card-trays disposed in a novel manner in such compact arrangement that they will be out of the way of the players when not in use.

A further object is the provision of a cardtray, to be used in playing duplicate Whist, which Will be provided with novel means for indicating the proper disposition of the cards and the lead hand in the original and duplicate plays.

A still further object is to provide a gameboard, for use in card-playing, having an improved trump-indicator.

Another object is the provision of a gameboard of improved construction adapted for use in playing the games of backgammon, checkers, chess, and duplicate Whist.

With the foregoing and other objects in View the invention consists of a game-board comprising certain improved features and novel combinations of part-s, more fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims. Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my game-board when folded; Fig. 2, a plan view of the board when open, showing some of the card-trays pulled out. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of a cardtray; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of the hinge, counter, and abacus, hereinafter described.

The game-board proper consists of two sections 1 and 2, hinged together and provided with a checkered surface 3 on one side and the backgammonboard 4 on the other side.

If desirable, the board may be constructed of a single piece, or suitable fasteners 4' are employed to hold the sections together when folded.

The four sides of the board, provided with supporting-legs, are designated by the letters N, E, S, and W, (shown at 5,) to indicate the different players when the board is used in playing duplicate Whist.

An abacus or counter 6, having thirteen beads, is located in a groove in the face of one of the board-sectionsand is employed for counting the number of points made by the sets of players when a game of duplicate Whist is in progress, the letters N and S and E and W, respectively, being located at the ends of the groove. When a point is gained, a bead is moved to one or the other end of the groove, as the case may be. The central bead 7 is preferably colored diderently from the others.

Opposite corners of the board have circularcountersinks 8, and the bottoms of the countersinks have the card-suit designations, such as clubs, spades, dac. Disks 9 are pivoted centrallyin the countersinks at 10 and have a quadrant cut out at ll to expose one suit designation ata time. These devices constitute trump-indicators, whose manner of operation is obvious. The remaining corners of the board have dovetail grooves l2, which receive score-cards 13. The score-cards when thus arranged are in convenient position, and yet not in the way of the players, and they can be removed and replaced by others when necessary.

My improved card-trays, employed when duplicate Whist is being played, are shown at 14 and are arranged in banks of six at opposite sides of the board, each bank being composed of three sets of two each. These trays slide in and out of the board-sections l and 2 like drawers, being provided with pulls or knobs l5 to facilitate their insertion and removal. This arrangement of trays in relation to the board is highly advantageous, as they are always ready for use, and yetnever in the way of the players, While they are al- Ways with the board and are carried with it from place to place. Each tray has four shallow compartments 16, defined by longitudinal and cross partition-strips 17 and adapted'to contain one-quarter of a pack of cards or a IOO single hand Finger-notches 18 are made in the edges of the tray to facilitate the removal of the cards, and at the front and rear of the tray are semicircular retaining-plates 19,which hold the cards in the compartments. A leaf-spring 20, having one end secured to the tray and t-he other end free, is adapted to bear against the board-section when the tray is shoved in and retain it. At the meetingpoint of the partition-strips is a circular indicator plate or disk 21, which also serves as a card-retainer, and it is provided with a central circular countersink 22. A disk 23, similar to disks 9, is pivoted in the countersink. The letters N, E, S, and W are printed on disk 21 over the compartlnents having printed in their bottoms the letters VV, N, 13, and 5, respectively, and these latter letters indicate that on the duplicate play Ws original hand is placed in the compartment marked lV in its bottom. The trays are numbered from 1 to 12, respectively, and the number of the tray, together with the letters A, B, and X, is printed in the bottom of the countersink 22. A hand or indicator 24 is printed on the disk 21, and in trays 1, 5, and 9 it points to N, in trays 2, 6, and 1() it points to E, for trays 3, 7, and 11 it points to S, and for trays 4, S, and 12 itpoints to 117. This hand indicates the player who has the lead in the original hand. On the duplicate play, E plays Ns hands and the duplicate lead is indicated by an arrow 25 on disk 2l, which arrow on trays 1, 5, and 9 points to E, to S on trays 2, 6, and 10, to WV on trays 3, 7, and 11, and to N on trays 4, 8, and 12. As an additional means of indicating the lead, the letters A and B are employed. The letter A is located beneath that letter on disk 21 which indicates which player is to lead originally, while B is beneath the letter indicating who the leader on the duplicate play will be. For instance, on tray No. 1 the letter A is beneath N on disk 21 and the letter B beneath E on the disk. When the hands have been played, both original and duplicate, the letter X, exposed by the disk 23, indicates that the hand in that tray has been finished. On the front ofthe tray, on opposite sides of the knob or pull 15 thereof, are the letters A and B, respectively. Two slides 26 and 27 are located on the tray-front and are adapted for manipulation to cover the letters A and B. When the game is begun, the slides 26 on all the trays are drawn back, eX- posing the letters A. When any tray is played on the original play, the slide 27 is moved to disclose the letter B and the slide 26 is closed to hide letter A, and after the duplicate play has been made the slides are closed, covering both letters A and B and indicating that the tray is not to be used again.

The trays are played and replaced indiscriminately, and hence the players cannot tell which hand is being played until the hand has been played, whereupon the disk 23 is turned, exposing the tray-number, and the points having been scored the tray is replaced in the board.

1t is desirable to employ trays or drawers 2S underneath the score-cards to hold additional score-cards, so that a quantity will always be at hand for use. Trays 29 are also provided and are employed to hold additional packs of cards, checkers, chessmen, &c. While my game-board is especially adapted for playing the game of duplicate whist, it also serves as a convenient checker and chess board, affording, as it does, means for holding the necessary paraphernalia and for scoring the games.

Many slight changes could be resortedy to in carrying out my ideas, and hence I consider' myself entitled to all such modified constructions as come within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a game-board, made in two sections hinged together and adapted for backgammon and checkers, said board having deepened or widened edges tray or drawer openings in said edges, of indi@ vidual card-trays removably received in said openings and each tray or drawer provided with several card-compartments to hold a hand or quarter of a deck of cards.

2. An indicator consisting of a backing or plate having a countersink and' circularlyarranged characters located at a quadrants distance apart on the bottom of the countersink, in combination with a disk fitted into the countersink and pivoted centrally which has a quadrant cut therefrom to expose one character at a time,substantially as described.

3. A card-tray for use in playing duplicate whist, having card-compartments designated by symbols or characters to indicate the players, which characters are hidden when the cards are in place, and an indicator bearing symbols or characters similar to those designating the compartments and arranged, respectively, adjacent the compartments next those of which their characters are duplicates, substantially as described.

4. A card-tray for use in playing duplicate whist, having card-compartments arranged substantially in the form of a square and having symbols or characters ontheir bottoms to indicate the players, which symbols are hidden when the cards arel in the compartments, and an indicator consisting of a plate having portions located adjacent the corners of the compartments and bearing exposed symbols or characters similar to those designating the compartments and arranged respectively,adjacent the compartments next those of which theircharacters are duplicates, substantially as described. Y

5. A card-tray for use in playing duplicate ICO IIO

Whist, having card-compartments designated by symbols or characters to indicate the players, Which characters are hidden when the compartments are occupied,an indicator bearing symbols or characters similar to those designating the compartments and arranged, respectively, adjacent the compartments next those of which their characters are du plicates, means for indicating the original and duplicate leads, an indicator bearing the number of the tray and characters denoting the original and duplicate leads, and a character denoting that the tray has been played through, and a movable device covering the characters last named and adapted to expose one of I5 them at a time, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES P. HARRISON. Witnesses:

N. T. GREEN, H. R. MILLER. 

